NAS writes new chapter in commercial aviation

NAS is the first private organization to be granted a commercial aviation license by the Presidency of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia, and Al Khayala will be the first privately operated scheduled airline service in the Kingdom.

The launch of Al Khayala has further focused the attention of industry experts worldwide on the Middle East, which has already witnessed the development of a number of creative new ideas, and particularly on the Saudi Arabian market, where NAS is writing a new chapter in the history of aviation. Al Khayala will quickly move to the top of the list of new services in the region, as it is the first of its kind not only in the Middle East but in the world.

Al Khayala is a recently developed strategic business unit within NAS which has been created to serve VIPs, businessmen and corporate/banking leaders whose business requires them to travel frequently between Riyadh and Jeddah. It has been designed to meet the needs of such travelers who are looking for a high quality service that best utilizes their travel time and provides them with a pleasant atmosphere, while satisfying their own personal requirements which cannot be met by commercial airline services.

Al Khayala will operate four scheduled flights per day between Riyadh and Jeddah from Saturday to Wednesday, along with charter flights on weekdays, weekends and official holidays to regional tourist destinations.

Al Khayala sales will be undertaken by a group of the largest, most respected travel agents in Jeddah and Riyadh, who have been designated as official Al Khayala SkyAgents. This group includes Portfolio Travel, the Al Tayyar Group, Al Faisaliah Travel and Tourism, Zahid Travel, Al Mousem Travel, Al Forsan Travel and ACE Travel. NAS will also be able to sell Al Khayala seats directly, through its offices in both Jeddah and Riyadh, its Al Khayala desks at the private aviation terminals and its web site www.al-khayala.com.

This exclusive new service has been designed to provide flexibility for its individual, corporate and government clients who require either annual daily blocked seats or ad-hoc seats. It will also extend to on ground service, where Al Khayala passengers will be able to utilize luxurious private aviation lounges in all Al Khayala stations both within Saudi Arabia and abroad. In addition, Al Khayala passengers will be able to arrive at the terminal within a very short time prior to the flight.

Mr. Mohammed Al Zeer, NAS President and CEO, said that by launching the new Al Khayala VIP service, the company's dream of bringing private aviation services and many of its privileges within the reach of first class passengers will become a reality, and that the service will become their logical choice.

Al Zeer pointed out that the Al Khayala service is being launched after extensive study of the market and its needs. The company has carefully selected the most appropriate aircraft and reconfigured it to match the specific, unique requirements of passengers who will be traveling on this service. As such, Al Khayala will operate Airbus A319 aircraft which are capable of being configured with up to 170 seats, and have only installed 44 luxurious seats, thus ensuring enough personal space to each passenger. The seat can recline up to 165 degrees, and includes in-seat power points so that passengers can charge their electronic devices and use them comfortably.

Since its establishment in 1999, NAS has provided a growing range of services to the private aviation sector, which had been neglected for some time in the region. The company currently provides a comprehensive service set in addition to Al Khayala, including its revolutionary NetJets Middle East Fractional Aircraft Ownership and Leasing Program, aircraft charter services, aircraft management solutions, operation support and project management solutions and a hybrid product which combines the benefits of each of these services into one unique package for Middle East customers.

NAS operates and manages the largest and fastest growing fleet of private aircraft in the Middle East Region and one of the twenty largest worldwide. The company currently has a total of 28 aircraft of different types in its stable, including the largest fleet in the world of privately configured Airbus aircraft, along with Boeing, Gulfstream, Dassault and Raytheon models, and even Twin Otter aircraft employed in its medical evacuation service being operated for the companies undertaking gas exploration projects in the Empty Quarter.

NAS offers the unique proposition to Middle East customers of unparalleled international service through a truly local company, and prides itself on being able to offer flexible, unique, non-traditional total solutions to all private aircraft users, regardless of their requirements.